Crockpot (Slow Cooker) Fudge

So you want something sweet but you don't want to risk the napalm type burns that come with boiling sugar?

What do you mean, you don't have a sugar thermometer?

I may have a solution for you.

Ingredients

300g chocolate (cheapo chocolate is fine )

400ml evaporated milk (one tin = approximately 390g. Bung it in. A little less than stated in the recipe doesn't hurt )

50g icing sugar

splash of extract (we used orange extract. Mint is nice too.)

Equipment

Crockpot (Slowcooker)

Wooden spatula / spoon

Spatula (bendy one for scraping out)

Sieve

Greaseproof paper

Tin opener

Oven gloves

Shallowish tray

Break up the chocolate and bung it in the slowcooker with the tin of milk. Make sure you scrape out the tin well. We want all the sticky goodness.

Turn the slowcooker onto low. We want the chocolate to melt into the milk.

This can be done more quickly in the microwave but I prefer to use the slowcooker. Less washing up and I don't trust chocolate in the microwave.

Once the chocolate has melted sieve the icing sugar directly into the bowl of the slowcooker and mix in well.

Top tip

Do not use a flexible spatula for this bit. I did the first time I made this and the result is shown above.

Leave the mixture (still on low) in the slowcooker for 10 minutes then mix thoroughly.

Repeat another 7 times!

During one of the 10 minute breaks, line a tray with greaseproof paper.

Another top tip

If you are like me not only will you loose track of time but you will loose count too. I set my phone to time 10 minutes and used a small notebook to keep a tally in.

So your 80 minutes are up. Using your oven gloves, lift the bowl out of the crock pot.

While steadying the bowl with your oven gloved hand, mix the sticky gloopy mixture vigorously.

It should start to feel like your arm is going to fall off.

At that point put a small spot of the mixture on a clean surface using a spoon or the spatula. (Be sensible. Sticking your hand in the slowcooker is not going to end well. It is hot!)

After waiting 20 seconds or so taste it.

If it is grainy move on to the next step.

If it is chewy it needs to be mixed more. I personally like to use a teenage slave (AKA my kids) at this point.

Test again after a few minutes. We want a grainy texture.

Warning

It is perfectly possible to eat the entire mixture while "testing" it. Don't ask how I know this :-0

Pour the mixture into your tray and smooth out as best you can.

Its homemade fudge so it doesn't have to be perfect.

All you have to do now is keep the teenage slave used earlier, away from the mixture while it cools.

Once cool and firm to the touch, it is time to cut it up into bite sized pieces.

I like to use a gert big knife. It means that you only have to do one cut per length and it looks scary enough to keep the aforementioned teenage slave away till you are ready to feed them the offcuts for their trouble.

If you don't have a teenage slave to placate, the offcuts can be used to top ice cream or just eaten. It is delicious with a cup of coffee.

Once we had cut it up we packaged it in cellophane bags and made it look pretty using metallic ribbon and a bow. Fudge is very rich so you don't need to put much in each bag.

Its now ready to be given as presents / goody-bags or sold at your school fete.

Costings -